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Weekly Posts
My weekly posts will consist of stories, ideas, topics, and experiences related to everyday life and current situations. I aim to post every Sunday so please feel free to email me with anything you'd like my opinion on or any tips you are curious about (:
*Continued below*
Week 1: My Story
Introduction
My first ever post! I wanna start my blog off with talking about how and where I got my inspiration for fitness. Personally, I have always been insecure about my looks and my weight and this took a toll on me. I failed to understand that all sizes and shapes are beautiful no matter what. Nothing should deprive you of loving yourself. I struggled to believe that everyone's uniqueness is what makes us stand out the most. This all came crashing on me when I had a close family wedding to attend. I wasn't too ecstatic about how I looked and knew that if I wanted a change, I needed to bring that upon myself. For 8 months I worked out rigorously and controlled my food intake. July of 2015, I felt more confident in myself and continued to grow both physically and mentally after the wedding. I just needed a specific goal to motivate me and that wedding worked wonders. Sometimes an event, an experience or just a few words of someone else can change your mindset on something and how you perceive it and that is exactly what I lacked in the beginning.  This is just a little bit about my journey on self-discovery and how it paved the way for me to love myself and not be so insecure. While those thoughts still run through my mind, exercise became a stress-reliever for me through both high school and college. Whilst, I still have a long way to go, I want my story to help anyone out there that may need some words of encouragement to not let societal pressures carve your path of life. I want my blog to be a way for us all to connect and share our stories together!
Week 2: Global Pandemic Adjustment
2020...what a year it has been to say the least! I know things have been rough on everyone worldwide and it has affected our lifestyles tremendously. I hope everyone is staying safe and has found their "normal" that is getting them through this tough time. I know being locked in your house can be challenging and especially, when it comes to eating healthy and incorporating exercise into your daily routine. It is very easy to simply sit on the couch, watch movies all day and eat whatever is convenient. It can be a struggle to get up and make yourself something nutritional however, it's times like this where we need to appreciate and pay heed to life's simpler things. Also doing nothing all day drives people to eat snacks here and there out of boredom and this can cause excessive eating and unnecessary weight gain. Well, my personal schedule was somewhat following the same route only because being a student and studying took up most of my time during this pandemic. Some things that I chose to do that have been extremely helpful for me during this time is ZOOM. I never knew that Zoom could become one of my confidantes because it kept me connected with my close friends. We don't just talk on Zoom, me and my friends have weekly virtual dance parties whether it is following simple "Just Dance" videos or just freestyle dance and being creative. It allows us to get that daily physical activity even if it's just for 15 minutes. In addition, I have made it a goal to take advantage of this beautiful weather we are having by going on walks around my neighborhood and exploring new forest preserves and their nature walks/trails. When it comes to cooking, I usually cook once a day right when I wake up because that's when I feel most productive. I cook a large portion so I can eat it throughout the day and keep myself full! But the most important thing I do daily is *DRINK MORE WATER THAN WE ALREADY SHOULD* The average amount of water intake for a human is about 2.5-3.8 liters a day for both men and women. I try to go above because it also helps a lot with skin hydration, moisturizing, clearing up your complexion and being the BEST natural detox and cleanser for your body. These are some things that have helped me remain calm and feel like my life is still the same among our pandemic and I hope they help you too! (:
Week 3: Welcome to July!
Happy FIRST day of July and 4th of July! It's the month of hot, scorching weather and barbecues, summer parties and A LOT of important birthdays (: . I'm sure it wasn't what you all expected due to everything however that gives us no excuse to not make the most of it! I hope you all ate a ton of grilled chicken and saw some amazing fireworks in your neighborhood, I know I did!!! I had never seen fireworks up close and personal but it was nice to have some fun and not have to stay home. July 4th is one of the holidays where the BEST food is made. Grilled chicken, smoked chicken, barbecue chicken. sandwiches, hot dogs, salads, chips and guacamole and so much more! I love the festive foods that come with it. I celebrated my birthday recently too and tried some amazing food at a restaurant in Downtown Chicago called RPM Seafood on Clark Street. I highly recommend it, and especially for the view of the amazing Chicago Riverwalk! I wanted to keep this short and sweet and wish you all for the 4th of July and remind you to stay positive and enjoy July because we are officially pass the 6 month mark of 2020 and we should never forget to count our blessings and make the most of our surroundings! (:
Week 4 & 5 :July Mayhem
The past two weeks of July have been pretty hectic to say the least. I have seen my friends more than I expected to and celebrated with both family and friends for many different reasons which was a blessing during this pandemic. I was lucky enough to have a second quarantine birthday celebration with a drive-by and also explored Starved Rock State Park! By far, it was one of the best days I have had. A therapeutic day full of laughter and sweat let me tell you. But struggling with your friends is the best kind of struggle isn't it? We walked more than 5 miles up and down the trails and that too in scorching hot weather of 96 degrees Fahrenheit! We even had a picnic and I pushed my friends to be as healthy as they could since we were going to be active all day so it would be best to eat something light and not feel bloated throughout the hike. We had Italian Pasta salad, gluten free tortilla chips with guacamole, baked chicken sliders, granola bars and some blueberries and grapes. Of course, their were some cheat snacks but it was well deserved!
Adding onto that, my 2nd birthday celebration was a complete surprise and was one of the best I have ever had. My mom and sister had decorated our garden with decor and transformed it into the most beautiful setup I had ever seen. I wanted to include some pictures of my trip to Starved Rock and also some pictures from my birthday to show you! *Scroll down for lots of pictures!*
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Starved Rock State Park Trip (:
Birthday Celebration Part 2
Week 6 and onwards...
It's been a crazy few weeks to say the least! Whilst school is creeping up on everyone, it has definitely kept me super busy focusing on other things. With that being said, staying active is still something I consider highly important! I have tried running any day that I have time. I usually run a few miles in the night after a long day. This helps me de stress and wind down for the day. It also helps me sleep at night considering my exhaustion. As summer comes to an end, school will definitely be taking over considering it's my last year in college but I will have A LOT more opportunities to incorporate exercise into my daily routine and I am super excited about this! Whether its's at home workouts or running around campus while the weather is still nice. I will definitely be posting more workouts and the things I do to remain healthy on campus because I totally understand that it can be difficult to maintain a balanced diet in college since your favorite fast food restaurant can literally be next door or down the street and you have no energy to cook after a long day of classes and work. I'll be updating with more recipes that require MINIMUM amount of work, ingredients and time! (:
